Hx Car Park Management & Gladstones Letter before Claim but never received a ticket

RedPen50

12.3.25
Hi there, I have only just received a letter of claim from Gladstones Solicitors, representing Hx Car Park Management.  It is saying I owe them £160 for parking charges on 29th November 2024 but doesn't state who the client is. The first paragraph says they wrote to me on 28th February 2025,  at my previous address, and said they then carried out a UK search trace which gave them my (newish) address, so they are 'taking the opportunity to make contact'.  They then go on to say that they will recover unpaid parking charge notice(s) as detailed in the attached schedule, but all there is on the so-called schedule shows the PCN number, the date, the relevant land / Charlestown Retail Park, and the current charge.

I thought I would have had time to respond, considering they kept sending the tickets to an incorrect address?

At first I couldn't remember where I was on this date.  I hadn't received a ticket either on the car or through the post but if it had gone to my previous address, that would explain it.  They haven't sent me any pictures of what it is I am supposed to have done.  It doesn't say anything in the letter of claim other that three pages of how I am supposed to pay the fine.
On checking my credit card for that date, I saw that we were at Pizza Hut at Charlestown Road Retail Park in Halifax, but I had my disabled sister with me and we always use her disabled badge and park in the disabled bays.  
I have just called the manager of Pizza Hut and asked what the car parking policies were as I have never had this from Charlestown before.  There are a couple of other businesses in the car park, such as a gym and fashion retail, but this is the first I have heard of this.  The manager was very helpful and told me that there is a warden, who doesn't wear a uniform as such, that goes around, usually from mid-day, through to 7 or 8pm at night and he only takes pictures, he doesn't issue any tickets.  But the manager said that people can usually park there for quite a while - the pizza hut staff can sometimes work 12 hour shifts and they haven't had an issue parking.

The only thing I can think of is possibly parking outside of the lines, but the two disabled spaces are quite tight together, surrounded by a small kerb and it is on the direct right of you as up pull into the car park, so it is a case of driving back and forth to get into the space.  
Other than that I cannot think of anything else.  I haven't responded yet, but I remember when I took on Hx Car Park a few years ago, this forum was extremely helpful.  However that was parking supposedly for too long in a garage.  I don't know what this is, all I can do is assume.

I am not too sure what the next step is.  Do I or do I not acknowledge the letter?  Ask for photos of the supposed incident?  I would be very grateful for any help/suggestions.
Thanks



7.4.25
Hi All
After sending off the first template from the newbies site, I received an email from Gladstones and also a letter through the post which confirms they have updated my information and will pass on to other data processors.

The email sent is as follows:

"Good Morning,  

We write further to your email. 

May we take the opportunity to thank you for your patience whilst awaiting a response. 

Your comments have been noted, however our Clients position remains the same. 

Please find attached the Evidence Packs which we trust to be self explanatory. 

Our Client is therefore satisfied the case against you should proceed unless the debt owing of £160.00 is discharged in full. To ensure no further action is taken, you should make payment on or before 10th April 2025.

If you do not make payment, we are instructed to issue legal proceedings to recover the outstanding balance in full. Should it become necessary to issue legal proceedings, we suggest you follow the steps on the claim form upon receipt of the same. 

Payment can be made to the account detailed as follows:  

XXX    

Please quote the above reference number XXX when making payment to ensure the payment can be allocated correctly.  

For the avoidance of doubt, we confirm we will not accept any further submissions from you. 

Kind Regards

Bethany Legal Assistant "

The evidence packs consisted of some photos of my car parked in the disabled bay.  Yes, it could have been parked a little neater but the badge was displayed and I wasn't causing an obstruction.  Also with the pictures, they sent documents from hybrid email showing all the times they had sent me information, even though this was to my previous address.

I also received another email, referring to my 'complaint':

"Our Client; HX Car Park Management Ltd

We write further to your correspondence of 12 March 2025, whereby you express you wish to raise concerns.

Please note that our firm’s Complaints Procedure is for the benefits of clients only. As you will be aware, our client in these circumstances is HX Car Park Management Ltd. We do however always wish for individuals to raise any concerns they have with our firm, in order that we can review, address and respond to the same, as applicable.

We are acting on behalf of our client, HX Car Park Management Ltd for the recovery of monies relating to unpaid Parking Charge Notice(s); HX55612.

To process your data is necessary and lawful, as it is required in furtherance of our client’s instructions, and we act for them on their rights and obligations for the recovery of such monies. Our client is entitled to instruct our firm to recover such monies, their own attempts having been unsuccessful. Our client has a period of 6 years from the date of the contravention, to recover any monies owed to them.

Our client has a legal right to recover any monies owed to them, and it is reasonable to expect, following our client’s unsuccessful attempts to recover such a debt, that a Solicitor will be instructed in respect of a formal pursuit of the debt owed, through the debt recovery process, our client having exhausted their own avenues to recover monies.

Any allegation of Predatory Conduct is therefore refuted in its entirety.

The Pre Action Protocol allows parties to enter into discussions in relation to a dispute.

However, if the issues raised by a potential Defendant, are not accepted by a potential Claimant, continuing with protracted correspondence, is not within the best interests of either party.

Our client’s evidence and position in respect of Parking Charge(s) HX55612 has been put forward to you, and our client does not accept the dispute you have put forward. Therefore, the usual course of action would be, at this time, for our client to consider if they wish to issue proceedings before the Court, if no payment is forthcoming, in order for the Court to determine if the debt is owed.

No discourtesy is intended in not accepting the issues you raise, this is the usual process in such matters.

We hope the above clarifies the position.

Yours sincerely

GL Sig

The Compliance Department

Gladstones Solicitors Limited"

So what is my next step?  They gave me until the 10th April to pay, but I haven't paid yet, or responded.

Coupon-mad

Well you just wait for the LBC and then the Claim Form, as explained in the 2nd post of the NEWBIES thread.

And send both DPOs a data rectification email telling them both to erase the old address, and to note the correct address for service which is NEW ADDRESS INCLUDING POSTCODE.

(Yes I know they already traced it. That's not the point of the data rectification).

Come back if a Claim Form arrives.

Gr1pr

Their client is Hx Parking,  according to your account above 

The response to an LoC letter is in the newbies sticky thread in announcements near the top of the forum 

Not receiving paperwork is no defence,  especially if its due to moving,  because HX wrote to the address supplied by the DVLA!  To the Registered Keeper 

If you have emailed them  with the response template,  then wait for a court claim pack to arrive in the post 

RedPen50

coupon-mad - ok I will, thank you.

RedPen50

Gr1Pr - yes I sent the email as per the newbies thread - ok will do, thank you.